Rainbow Connection
by Evonne
Summary: Rainbow Dash comes to realize that her closest friend, is also her true love.
1. Chapter 1

Warm golden sunlight poured into the windows of Rainbows' home as she hopped from her bed. The cerulean pony stretched and shook her mane into place as she made her way out the front door and onto her cloud porch overlooking ponyville. She looked down to the bustling expanse of the city sighing to herself as she thought about the day ahead, slowly, her gaze turned up to the sky.

"No clouds to clear today, it's really too windy to be flying anyway." The rainbow maned mare thought "Maybe I'll go visit Pinkie, she's always got something up her sleeve."

She rushed inside to put on her scarf, and then, in one of her favorite morning rituals , she dashed out the door and into the sky. Rainbow flew until she was but a brushstroke against the blue canvas of the sky. Once she reached the local park , and was sure there was nobody in the way, she closed her wings and dove, hurtling toward the ground ,and spread them again just before she reached the ground ,resulting in a gentle (and perfectly executed) landing.

"Rainbow!"

Dash looked around to find the pony who had called her.

" Hey Scoots, whats up?" She said as the young orange pegasus ran to her excitedly.

" That was _AMAZING _do you think you could teach _me_ how to do that?" Scootaloo squealed, fixing her purple eyes on dash.

"Maybe some other day squirt, its a little windy, not good for beginners ya know."

"O-Kay!" Scootaloo exclaimed before rushing off to join Applebloom and Sweetie Belle a few feet away.

Rainbow followed the small pegasus with her eyes for a moment, watching her purple tail bob behind her. As she began walking away she clearly heard Scootaloo's excited bragging at Dash's offer. She couldn't help but smile to herself over her exaggerated description of the skills she expected to acquire.

Dash continued on her way, taking in the scenery of the crisp early fall, one of those days when everything seemed a little bit more vibrant than usual. It was glorious, and the usually impatient Dash found herself taking her time and enjoying the world around her.

Before she knew it she had reached Sugarcube Corner, and her stomach rumbled as though it were acknowledging that fact.

"Just in time." Rainbow thought jokingly as she pushed open the door. "Pinkie ,are you here?" She called.

"Over here!" The eternally bubbly pink pony exclaimed , poking her head out over an enormous, and rather ornate cake , eyeing it hungrily. With an obvious effort she looked away "Oh , hey Rainbow, Whatcha up to?"

"Not much, I was wondering if you were busy today, I don't have any weather control to do and was hoping we could maybe do some more pranking."

"Oh, sorry Dashie but I have to look after the shop while the Cakes are out doing some preparations for the festival."

"Oh my gosh, how could I have forgotten all about the festival!" Rainbow exclaimed " One of the biggest races of the year and I _completely_ forget." She sighed slowly.

"Well I guess it doesn't matter now, it isn't until tomorrow anyway. So before I leave, got anything to eat?" Rainbow said spying a particularly delicious looking muffin on the counter.

" Oh , sure Dashie, here ya go." Pinkie said in her usual cheery tone, handing her the muffin she'd been eyeing.

" Thanks, see ya later Pinkie" she said wolfing it down quickly.

" You too Rainbow." Pinkie called after her before returning her hungry gaze to the cake once again."

Since Pinkie is out of the question maybe ill go visit Fluttershy, I haven't really spoken to her in a while anyway." Dash thought to herself

Rainbow made her way towards the Everfree Forest, as she approached Fluttershy's cottage a familiar feeling took over, her heart pounded a little faster as she walked up the short path to the door, she felt a little silly every time this happened. She always thought _There is no reason to be nervous, I mean it's just Fluttershy, of all ponies._But it never failed. In fact, it had been that way as long as she could remember, since they had become friends really. She knew this just as she knew that as soon as she knocked on the cottage door Fluttershy's gentle voice would soothe her worry and fill her with warmth.

In being so wrapped up in her thoughts she barely realized she had already knocked on the door, suddenly she snapped back to reality.

"Oh, its you Rainbow, please come in."Fluttershy beamed , stepping back to allow her friend to enter her cottage.

Rainbow blushed a little at her awkwardness, glad that her friend was gracious enough to spare her by overlooking it.

"H-Hey Flutters," Dash said regaining her thoughts, "I've got a free day today and I thought i'd come see if you'd like to ,Ya know, hang out."

"Your timing is just perfect!" Fluttershy quietly exclaimed "Angel Bunny and I were just planning a picnic in the park later, I'd love for you to tag along, that is, if you _want_ to."

Ah, good old Fluttershy, always so considerate and generous

Dash could tell she hadn't been expecting company, yet she still offered.  
>"Are you sure Shy? I don't mean to be in the way or anything."<br>"Dashie, you are my best friend, how could you ever think you were intruding?" Fluttershy spoke earnestly, " And anyway, it'll certainly be more fun with you around." Suddenly she turned " I mean, not that it isn't fun with you Angel." Angel gave the yellow mare a disdainful look, and the two pegasi giggled a little.  
>"Alright, I'll help you pack up then." Dash said, feeling a little guilty , she really didn't deserve a friend as wonderful as Fluttershy.<br>Together they gathered supplies for the picnic, Fluttershy made lunch while Rainbow gathered together plates, cups and plastic utensils, which she packed into a saddlebag.  
>"Hey Flutters, wheres a blanket we can use?" Dash inquired<br>"Oh yes, here you go." Fluttershy said handing her a simple, but rather beautiful lavender blanket.  
>Rainbow felt a little pang as she looked at the blanket.<br>" Fluttershy, is this..." Rainbow trailed off "Is this what I think it is?"  
>Fluttershy blushed a little and looked down, shuffling one of her front hooves against the cottage floor.<br>"Yea, I-it's the blanket you gave me when we were in flight school." She looked up, her face blossoming into a fresh shade of red. "I didn't think you remembered." She whispered, looking down again.  
>"Of course I remember, how could I forget? This blanket is like, the embodiment of our friendship." Rainbow looked down to the blanket "You remember why I gave it to you?"<br>"Its because I was crying, I had been bullied by those two colts and I had ran to our dorm, you had followed me, told me everything would be okay... And that you would be my new friend. That was your favorite blanket, and you gave it to me because you thought it was magic, that it would give me courage." Fluttershy looked up once again, a bit of her pink mane falling to her face in the process.  
>"Guess I was wrong about that last part , huh." Rainbow said with a small smile , moving to tuck the stray hair behind her ear.<br>"Yea, I guess you were." Fluttershy looked into Rainbow's eyes, and she returned the favor.  
>"You know, your eyes are the most beautiful shade of green" Dash said<br>Fluttershy smiled again shyly "Thanks but nothing could ever compare to that incredible rosy shade yours have always been."  
>Dash blushed a little "We should get going, don't want to waste the daylight!" She said before awkwardly turning to replace the blanket with one that wasn't quite so meaningful.<br>"Yea,don't wanna.." The yellow pony paused " waste time." She finally finished  
>(<em>Did she sound... Disappointed? Oh well , a little more guilt to add to the steadily growing pile, not to mention, there was really no reason to be <em>_disappointed_.)  
>After replacing the blanket, the two made their way to the park the tension slowly evaporating, soon they we're back to having their usual animated(mostly on Dash's end) conversations, which included a heavy dose of sentiment(this however, all Fluttershy), and as they prepared to leave both were very content.<br>"Want me to walk you home Shy?" Rainbow asked.  
>"Um, yea, definitely." Fluttershy replied as she picked up the last of the picnic supplies.<br>Finally,Dash picked up the blanket and threw it over her back, and they were on their way to Fluttershy's cottage. After a short peaceful walk the reached her home, when they had approached the door Fluttershy turned to Rainbow. Suddenly,there was that feeling again. (had Fluttershy always been this beautiful?)  
>"Uh,Thanks for lunch." Dash said (<em>stupid, stupid STUPID. Why did she keep acting like this, and furthermore, why was her heart pounding?)<em>

"Oh, don't mention it, anything for a good friend." The yellow pegasus replied " Goodnight Dashie."  
>Rainbow smiled "Goodnight Flutters." She stood on the pathway , watching as her pink tail dissapeard behind the door before turning to head home.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

The reality of what had happened didn't really hit Dash until she had reached her home.

_What was all that? _Dash thought, she realized that something had change, but could not place it. She decided finally that it was fluke, told herself over and over, But she knew that it was something so much deeper. The blue mare sighed and made her way inside. She tried ignore the complicated feelings that came along with the day's events, but to no avail, she couldn't get that shy yellow pony out of her head. After accepting that sleep would be impossible she decided she needed some pony to talk to, however she had no idea who to turn to. She deliberated for a while and decided that it would be best to talk to Twilight Sparkle, though she wasn't very adept when it came to matters of the heart, she was smart, not to mention always awake.

Rainbow made her way to the treebrairy slowly; many times she thought about turning back, struggled with how she would even approach Twilight with the matter, ultimately however, she ended up on the purple unicorn's doorstep. She knocked delicately and called to her friend,

"Twilight, you awake?" She said "I need to talk to you."

"Just a moment!" the studious unicorn called "I'm in the middle of something!"

From outside Rainbow heard the tell tale signs of large books sliding onto shelves and soon she Twilight opened the door.

"Oh! Hello Rainbow, this is unexpected, what brings you here?" Twilight stepped out of the way to allow Dash entry.

"I…" _I think I'm in love with my best friend_ she thought."Just wanted to talk..."

Twilight could tell that there was something very serious on Rainbow's mind but she knew that in time she would share.

"All right, what would you like to talk about?" Twilight said moving to make some tea for the two of them.

"Um, nothing in particular." Dash said, plopping herself down at Twilight's small dinner table.

"You alright dash, you seem… upset, are you sure there isn't something you'd like to talk about?" Twilight said setting the tea service onto the table.

Dash let out a long, slow, breath before speaking "Look, Twi, I'm… I'm really confused, and I'm not sure that this is exact but…. I think I'm in love with Fluttershy." The last few words came out in a barely audible rush.

Twilight looked at her friend with confusion, though she was fairly sure she had heard brazen friend clearly, and calmly asked her to repeat herself.

Rainbow blushed a little, but something about putting out into the open had given her a new bravery, a new strength, and this time she spoke clearly and directly to her friend.

"I said, I think im in love with Fluttershy… and I need advice." She looked up to twilight with a mixture of both fear and freedom, the familiar emotional mixture that came with admitting ones deepest feeling.

"Oh, Rainbow," The purple unicorn spoke like a doting mother, "I'm sure that I'm not really the one to be admitting this to..."

She was interrupted by a certain very embarrassed blue mare " I knew I should have kept it to myself!" she said " Now everything's been ruined, I should have just left it alone, well at least I told you and not Fluttershy, please promise you won't tell her!"

"Rainbow!" Twilight called "Calm down, you've got it all wrong!" and then more calmly, I'm _Trying_ to tell you that you should go tell _Fluttershy_._"_

Dash stuttered, "But..." she said "what if..."

"What's the worst that could happen?" and before Rainbow could protest further "Go to her." And with that she sent her on her way.

,


	3. Chapter 3

Rainbow stepped out into the calm night air, looking about she noticed the incredible silence that engulfed ponyville. _How can everything be so calm around me while my whole world feels as if it is about to be turned upside down? How can everything seem so normal outside while I'm in utter turmoil? _ The stricken mare turned toward Fluttershy's cottage and looked to the sky, begging for a sign. She knew Twilight was right, if she was sure enough of her love to tell her, she should be able to tell Fluttershy. But still, she wasn't sure she could, there were so many what- ifs. For what felt like the first time, the brave, dare-devil of a pony was terrified.

Rainbow dredged up all the confidence she could, and started on her way, however, after a few steps sleep blurred her vision and every muscle felt drained. Rainbow debated whether she should just go home, but her body quickly chose for her.

"It would be useless to try and tell her now, besides, tomorrow is the fall festival before the running of the leaves, I'll just tell her tomorrow." And with this Dash dragged herself home with what energy she had left. In a dreamlike state, she crossed the threshold of her home and, without any hesitation crossed the room and flopped onto her bed. Her exhaustion won over her consciousness and she was asleep the moment her colorful head hit the pillow. That night her subconscious put her desire on full display, and she had fantastically lucid dreams, as beautiful as they were frustrating. In flashes she saw, yellow flank, pink mane, sea green eyes, and finally the lavender blanket. All these things had more meaning to her than anything else in Equestria, even The Wonderbolts, and her dream to be a part of them, paled in comparison to the love, the passion, the desire that she felt for this quiet pony. All of these things her dreams showed her, and she realized that all of these things were true.

In the morning when the mare awoke she felt many things, she was nervous, scared, and yet she held a sort of solace in knowing that whatever was to come , she was ready for it, and that even if heartbreak was her future, she had finally realized and accepted something she had hidden away for a very ,very long time. Rainbow Dash was in love, truly, sincerely _in love_ with Fluttershy and despite all those pesky what-ifs, it felt amazing.

Rainbow prepared for her day as always trying very hard to stay focused and not let all these new emotions overwhelm her, she felt a fluttering in her stomach, a nervous gnawing in her chest, but she was determined to see that her feelings were known. A compulsive reckless feeling ruled over all else, and it was almost as if she didn't tell her today, then she would never get the chance. This urgency weighed on her, calling her to move forward and do what needed to be done. Her last thought before she left her home was how beautifully the sun shone, as though Celestia herself was rooting for her.

When Rainbow arrived at Sweet Apple Acres it was already bustling with activity, it seemed that every pony in ponyville was preparing for the celebrations, which would all be topped off with the annual Running of the Leaves, one of Rainbow's favorite events. She looked about and quickly saw all her friends, all that is, except a certain timid yellow pegasus. As she approached she quickly came to realize that Fluttershy wasn't just hidden from view, she was not there at all. A panic settled in her chest and she tried her best to remain calm, maybe her favorite little cheerleader was just late. She consoled herself with this thought, but it didn't instill much confidence. Dash approached Applejack,

"Hey Applejack," she said, trying to sound nonchalant "Have you seen Fluttershy today?"

"I'm sorry sugar cube, I haven't but don't y'all go gettin' worried, I'm sure she's jus' busy tendin ta her little critters." The orange earth pony said reassuringly. She had known the brazen pegasus long enough to tell that something was wrong, but the best she could do was try and calm her.

"Yeah, that's probably it, no need to worry over it." Rainbow walked off to see if there were any last minute jobs that she could do, she needed to get her mind off of Fluttershy, badly. _Something to do, something to do _Rainbow thought looking about her, she saw a few clouds drifting above, they weren't really a threat, but it was a job. Dash shot into the air like lightning, ascending higher and higher towards the azure sky, she went far higher than any bird dared to go, feeling the rush of the wind, for a moment she was totally free. The blue mare hover for a moment and rushed back down towards the clouds, bucking left and right until each was cleared, letting out all of her frustration, banishing all of the negatives that had built over the last day and a half. When she was done she descended feeling refreshed and calmed, however when she landed and realized that Flutter shy still had not showed something like panic settled in she went back and again asked Applejack if she had shown, but still there had been no sign of her.

For another hour and a half Dash paced around nervously trying to console herself _nothing's wrong_ she thought_ she's just busy_ but as the main event drew closer and closer, and the hours passed she became more and more nervous.

"Hey Applejack, listen I'm going to go check on Fluttershy, she still hasn't shown, and I think something might be wrong." Rainbow said.

"Alright sugar cube, but try an' get back quick, don't wanna miss the race!"

"Yeah, I'll try. See ya AJ."

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	4. Chapter 4

**AN: so, the story finally ends, I apologize if it seems rushed, especially because it has been so long since I've uploaded, i was just really unsure as to where to go with it, also i appreciate all of your wonderful feedback, and hope to receive the same for the two new stories i have in the works, so anyways, Enjoy! **

Rainbow took no time getting to Fluttershy's cottage, not wanting to spend another moment worrying about any possible predicament her friend may be in. When she arrived she took a deep breath and knocked on the door. No answer. She looked about, from the outside she could see that there was a light on inside. This made her very nervous, if Fluttershy was home why wouldn't she answer? She knocked again; trying to shove her panic deep down, this was no time to be frantic. She tried the knob, and to her relief it opened, she stepped inside and was greeted by an unnerving silence.

"Flutters?" the blue mare called timidly "Are you here?"

Rainbow was almost embarrassed by the fear she heard in her own voice.

"Fluttershy please," by this she was on the brink of tears, she didn't feel good about any of it, the silence especially. "Answer me Flutters, please."

Rainbow made her way to Fluttershy's bedroom and found a large mound of blankets piled on the bed, a formless lump, she approached it and saw that it was moving, breathing. Rainbow gently lifted the cover to find a very ill yellow mare, surrounded by a tangled halo of pink. She had found Fluttershy. All of her emotions shifted in a dizzying rush. _She's okay! Thank Celestia! She doesn't look well though, maybe I should see if she needs anything._

As if in answer to this the yellow pony opened her eyes and turned her sea green eyes to find the blue mare who she had known for so long. "Dashie," she croaked " what are you doing here? You'll miss the race!"

"You're more important than any race Flutters" dash said, smoothing her pink mane "Much more."

"But…" she tried to protest.

"No buts." Rainbow spoke much like a doting mother "You look terrible! Have you eaten anything?"

Fluttershy once again tried to protest, but Dash would not have any of it.

"Fluttershy, how many times have you taken care of me when I was sick, when I was hurting, when I was sad? This is, if nothing else, a token of thanks for all you've done. Don't take it as charity, take it as payment, okay?"

At this she smiled and timidly said "Okay" and then "thank you, Rainbow Dash"

"So, as I was saying, have you eaten?" Rainbow inquired.

"No," was Fluttershy's embarrassed reply "And, I haven't fed any of my animals either, I tried believe me, but I've just got such a headache, and I'm so dizzy."

"Don't worry Flutters, I'll take care of it now, you rest." And with that Rainbow left to tend to responsibility. _First things first_ she thought_ take care of Fluttershy._ Rainbow made her way to the kitchen and looked through the cabinets, pulling out some medicine, a can of soup, and a saucepan; she the crossed to the fridge and took out some juice and a carrot (Fluttershy had always had a strange taste for carrots in her soup). Rainbow put the soup on and poured her friend some juice, as well as setting out a bowl for her meal. While the soup warmed she went to the backyard and fed Fluttershy's numerous animals, she had never been much of an animal person, but she felt rater peaceful as she watched them move about vying for their daily meal, and laughed a bit at their uneasy glances, no doubt they wondered where their true caretaker had gone. When all of the creatures had been tended she made her way inside. Only to find that, to her dismay, the pot of soup was very nearly boiling over, she rushed and turned the burner off just as the bubbling had come dangerously close to the edge, however in doing this the blue mare knocked the saucepan to the ground, splattering thick, hot soup everywhere. She cursed to herself as she shook the sticky liquid from her mane and tail, an then sighed as she went to grab a rag to clean the rest from the floor. After doing so she took the juice and medicine to her friend, and admitted what had happened with the soup. To her further embarrassment, Fluttershy laughed at her story.

"What's so funny, I nearly burned my hooves off over that!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"It's just cute that you tried, again Rainbow, Thank you." The yellow pony croaked.

Dash softened at this, that old familiar feeling taking over again she leaned over and nuzzled her friend, who sighed gently. In a comfortable stupor Fluttershy whispered, "I love you Dashie."

And as naturally as if it she had been saying it her whole life Rainbow replied " I love you too, Fluttershy."

Neither Rainbow, nor Fluttershy ever pondered what _kind_ of love it was,and neither had to say it, for they both knew, in that moment that what they felt was mutual, and true, and the only regret they had, was not realizing that sooner.


End file.
